Question about the E-Brake

You might be in for a FULL brake job once you get those drums off Brandon If you have been running around with a partially stuck set of rear shoes for two weeks now. If the metric pull bolts aren't moving the drum off the shoes,,then you need to release the pressure on those bolts and back the shoes off first then try again. The shoes might be burned deep into the drums. Stash some coin and be prepared for the worst.

Nothing worse than a stuck E brake, especially when you are up to your axles in snow,sand or mud.

People get crazy with the E brake,,yanking that thing to the stop. Bring it up tight,,then a couple clicks more. If it rolls at a couple clicks more tension, then it would be wise to take a look at all things involved.

A service check of that E brake system need to be at the very least once a year, weather you use it or not.

 

Yikes.

You may have a bad axle bearing and seal.

One of mine siezed up, because the bearing went, ate the seal, and the gear oil went all over my brake components.

From there, the adjusting star was tricked into adjusting tighter and tighter, because there wasnt resistance coming off the brake/drum contact surface. It cooked the pads, burned gear oil, and was painfully hot.

Thank god i was driving to the dealership to pick up some parts at the time, so luck and happenstance were on my side.

take a peek at the backside of the hub. There are 4 bolts that hold the assembly onto the axle, and when a seal goes, that area will have a oily sheen to it, since the oil is dripping around it.

 

It was bone dry when I looked at it yesterday

 

Due to the lack of care from the PO, I highly doubt he ever did any checks for the E-brake. And right now, the handle is hard to pull out. You have to put in a good amount of force to engage it. And when you do engage it, the handle doesn't come out as far as it used to

 

Wow, side tracked thread. To the OP's original question; I always use the E-brake, even on flat ground. But I have been told I'm anal retentive.